MAFRO alleges

IMPHAL, Feb 7: Manipur Friendship Organisation (MAFRO) has alleged that computer centres established in the State for developing Urdu language have failed miserably.Speaking to media persons at MAFRO office at Babupara, its president SM Ahsan explained that there is an autonomous body known as National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (NEPUL) under the Ministry of HRD, which establishes computer centres in various States with the aim of developing Urdu language.There are 24 such computer centres in Manipur. But a recent survey by MAFRO of such centres revealed that the centres present in the State have not been functioning properly, he added.He claimed that one of the centres had only 3-4 students as well as inadequate number of teachers.MAFRO also found that Urdu was not taught at the centres which are set up specially for developing the language, although it is compulsory in such centres.Three of the centres had only signboards but no classrooms while 18 others did not even have any proper signboards, he said.If the centres are operated properly, they have the potential to provide free education to the students of the State and it is MAFRO’s aim to ensure that the scheme is properly implemented in the State, he said.The president conveyed that MAFRO will submit necessary complaints to the Central Government as well as the Ministry concerned and further appealed to all the authorities concerned to look into the matter at the earliest.These centres are designed to operate for 15 years under grant-in-aid and after the expiration of this term/period, the centres are supposed to run by themselves, Ahsan said and alleged that the parties involved in operating the centres in the State have been manipulating the scheme for their own personal gains.